Island Imperial Pigeon - BirdForum Opus

Adult, nominate subspecies
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Gizo, New Georgia Group, Solomon Islands, 18 September 2019

Ducula pistrinaria

Identification

38-44 cm (15-17¼ in)

• Large pale gray pigeon
• Pale eye-ring
• Pale gray head, neck and underparts
• Slight pink wash to head and breast (depending on subspecies)
• Dark chestnut undertail coverts
• Glossy gray or green upperparts.

Distribution

Australasia; found on Papua New Guinea, Melanesia, Solomon Islands

Taxonomy

This is a polytypic species.

Subspecies^[1]

• D. p. rhodinolaema:

• Admiralty Islands, New Hanover and small islands off northern New Guinea

• D. p. vanwyckii :

• Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, New Ireland and Witu)

• D. p. postrema :

• Misima Island, D'Entrecasteaux and Louisiade archipelagos

• D. p. pistrinaria:

• Solomon Islands and Lihir Group

Habitat

Small islands and coasts of larger islands. Forests with tall trees.

Behaviour

Diet

Not well studied but includes fruit.

Breeding

A single egg is laid in a large twig platform, usually high in a tree.

Vocalisation

Distinctive call is a deep, throaty laughing series starting with emphatic upslurred notes followed by a series of soft, lower notes.

Movements

Partly nomadic, often making long flights over the sea between islands.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Baptista, L.F., Trail, P.W. & Horblit, H.M. (2019). Island Imperial-pigeon (Ducula pistrinaria). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54382 on 20 November 2019).
4. Dutson, G. (2011) Birds of Melanesia, Christopher Helm, London.
5. Gregory, P. (2017) Birds of New Guinea, Including Bismarck Archipelago and Boughainville. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Island Imperial Pigeon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Island_Imperial_Pigeon

External Links

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